An Officer Safety An Officer Safety TopicTopic

COUNTERING CANINE ATTACKS

FIREARMS TRAINING

Preface

Handling problems with dogs has been a problem

associated with law enforcement for probably as long as

there have been police and sheriff’s departments in this

country.

In his book Good Order and Safety:

a history of the St. Louis Metropolitan

Police 1861-1906, Dr. Allen Wagner

mentions problems police in St. Louis

had with dogs.

Once the civil war was over, the police were able to get

down to doing regular police duties. Animals

continued to roam about the streets in St. Louis, which

had an 1865 population of 180,000.

While farm animals were sometimes a nuisance, the

Real problem was stray dogs.

City officials were concerned about rabies. An

Ordinance was created permitting the slaying of stray

dogs.

The ordinance was passed and the mayor issued a

proclamation notifying dog owners to have their dogs

muzzled and accompanied by a keeper when on the

streets.

Any dog found at large without a muzzle and keeper

would be immediately killed. The owner would be fined

between $10 and $20. Half the fine would go to the

Officer who killed the dog and the remainder to the city.

Do you know how much the fine would mean to officers

in those days? ($136 to $272 in today’s dollars.)

To put it into perspective, the standard issue handgun

That SLPD officers were required to purchase was a .36

cal. revolver that cost $9. ($122 in today’s dollars.)

Officers worked 12-hour shifts with no days off (for

nearly the first 20 years of the department, and were

required to wear their police uniforms when off duty

(unless they were at home).

Ten dollars was a lot of money to be paid for each dog

killed. What do you think happened next?

What the newspapers dubbed “the dog war” began.

The ordinance was quickly enforced. One policeman

Was reported to have shot 12 dogs before breakfast

“and would have killed as many more had he not run

out of ammunition.”

Because of negative publicity about the dog war,

the mayor had the police board to instruct the

police to “use their batons to kill the dogs and

avoid use of their pistols except where no other

means would prevail.”

The beating of dogs to death by the police drew a

worse reaction. The city later hired two men to

capture the dogs.

Fast forward to the present.

Now, criminals are using attack dogs on police,

and you need to know how to handle them.

This course does not contain a shooting range

segment but tells you what to do when attacked by

a dog. You can set up your own “pit bull drill” and

try the recommended shooting next time you are at

a shooting range. It’s not costly or hard to do.

Objectives:At the end of this training, the student will: 

1. Understand the fear factor that must be conquered.

2. Understand the initial steps when confronted by a vicious dog.

3. Understand aspects of cornering a vicious dog.

4. Understand the pros and cons of OC spray on vicious dogs.

5. Understand what to do if you have to take the bite.

6. Be able to shoot an attacking vicious dog.

Preface

Criminals are using attack dogs on police, and

you need to know how to handle them.

Example:• Officers are serving a warrant on a drug dealer. As they

enter the suspect’s backyard, he unleashes his pit bull with the command, “attack!” The powerful animal lunges toward you with fierce determination and snarling teeth.

• You have no choice. You draw your service weapon and fire three rounds into the dog. Two find their mark in its chest cavity, while the third rips through one of its front legs. It takes a few more paces, collapses, and dies. 

• This is not a far-fetched scenario. Pit bulls, Rottweilers, Dobermans, and other attack dogs have become part of the street criminal’s arsenal. They represent a real danger to law enforcement officers. And you need to know how to deal with them.

Step One Is To Conquer Your Fear• A dog attack can be controlled.• But, if you panic from fear and try to run, a dog will run

you down.• There are times when running is the best option.• If the dog is a block away and you’re standing close to

your patrol car, there’s nothing wrong with jumping into your cruiser to avoid having to shoot the animal.

• Sometimes, you may not have the option of retreating.• You may have to stand and fight.

Making a Stand

• First realize you’re not dealing with a friendly puppy dog.

• Man’s best friend is a wonderful creature, but it’s also an animal.

• Worse, it’s a predatory animal.• That means that when a dog attacks, its instinct is

that of a predator, and the way to prevent serious injury and even death is to acknowledge and respect that instinct.

When Confronted By A Dog• Never turn your back on a predator in close quarters.• If you turn and run, you become nothing more than

prey. • Face the animal squarely and bend your knees to

lower your center of gravity. • Once in position, start yelling at the animal as you

face it.• An attacking dog expects you to turn and run.• When you face it and act aggressively, you may scare

it off.• Unfortunately, a trained or determined animal will not

be swayed by this tactic.

Beware Of Cornering The Animal

• Whether the dog is a trained attack dog at the command of a bad guy, or a suddenly irritated and aggressive family pet, be careful about cornering or trapping it.

• Always give an animal a way out or a way to retreat.

• Trapping a dog in a corner and leaving him with no other option but to fight his way out is a sure way to get bitten.

If You Do Corner It• If you find you have trapped a dog in a

corner, keep facing the dog and slowly start to back away, giving it an escape route.

• This will work on most dogs that are not committed to the attack but are instead reacting out of fear.

• A determined animal who is on the attack and committed to the bite is another story.

• It’s made up it’s mind to attack and is actively charging you.

• It won’t back down.

OC Spray• A determined dog can only be deterred with force.• This means you must decide between OC spray and

deadly force.• OC is sometimes a viable option, But its execution can

be tricky and its results can be unpredictable. • If you do use OC on a dog, it is imperative that you

leave it an escape route. • If you don’t then you will get bitten as the dog tries to

fight his way past you. • Remember, even a dog that wasn’t committed to the

attack will fight to get away from you and the effects of the OC when trapped.

OC Doesn’t Work If They Are Focused

• Keep in mind that just as OC spray does not work on all humans, it won’t work on all dogs.

• Dogs that have committed to an attack and trained or conditioned dogs won’t be fazed by pepper spray any more than a human PCP user.

• Worse, even if a dog is susceptible to the pain of OC, it can cover a lot of ground before the spray has time to take effect.

Taking The Bite

• Dogs are meat eaters and their instinct is to hunt and kill.

• A dog kills in the wild by grabbing its prey with a bite, pulling it down, and tearing out its throat.

• That’s exactly what an attack dog will try to do to you.

• Your survival depends on using the dog’s instinct against it.

Prepare For The Attack

• Face the animal squarely in a low-center-of-gravity stance with your knees slightly bent and your non-shooting arm extended.

• Most dogs will bite the body part that’s closest to them unless they have been trained to do otherwise.

• Even then, training has a hard time overriding the animal’s instinct.

• By presenting the dog with your non-shooting arm to bite, you can take control of the attack.

Prepare To Counterattack

• When you are braced, draw your pistol and prepare yourself for the counterattack.

• Make sure you have a safe background for shooting before you fire any rounds toward the charging animal.

• If you don’t have a safe background to shoot the dog as it’s charging you, you will have to take the bite.

What To Do If Bitten

• Once the animal clamps down on your arm, you can turn to try and maneuver it into a better position for shooting.

• Just make sure you stay on your feet. • In the case of a larger dog such as 130-pound

Rottweiler, it will be very difficult for you to maneuver the animal.

• A dog has four legs and runs every day and a large dog is a strong dog, so it will be difficult to handle and turn.

You May Use The Ground As A Shooting Backstop

• When you don’t have a safe background for shooting and cannot maneuver the animal, then you can shoot in a downward position using the ground as a safe backstop.

• Once the dog latches onto your non-shooting arm, raise your weapon up over the top of the dog and fire into it from a downward position angled out away from your self, using the ground as your backstop.

Aim For The Shoulder

• Try to aim for the dog’s shoulder.

• This will allow you to hit some of its major organs and blood vessels.

• At the least you’ll break it’s shoulder, which will lessen the dog’s mobility and slow it down to give you a better shot.

A Headshot Is Not Usually Best• You might think that a headshot is the way to go in this

situation, but that can be a very bad option. • The dog’s head is latched onto your arm by it’s teeth. • The dog’s head is going to be thrashing about in its

attempt to drag you down, so there’s a good chance you’ll miss or your weapon will be knocked around.

• In addition, as you raise the weapon toward the animal’s head, there is a chance it will let go of your non-shooting arm and latch onto your shooting arm or hand.

• Finally, just as with human targets, a dog’s head is smaller than its body and harder to hit.

Practice

• You need to learn that a dog attack can be controlled. 

• You need to train and be prepared for any possible attack and that includes a canine assault.

• Whether it’s an intentional assault by a trained dog or a family pet that’s gone bad, you need to know how to respond appropriately to this threat.

• You would never want to be forced to shoot someone’s pet, but the threat from these animals is real and your response must be appropriate.

Range Safety Rules

• At this point we will go over the range safety rules.

• Following that, we will engage in a practical shooting exercise.

Practical Firearms Training:The Pit Bull Drill

• Another way to train for a dog attack is to use the “pit bull drill.”

• We will use a two-litter soda bottle filled with water and capped. A piece of cord will be tied around the neck of the bottle.

• You will have a target that approximates the chest cavity area of a pit bull.

Pit Bull Drill

• To perform the pit bull shooting drill, we will place the bottle down range approximately 25 to 35 feet with the other end of the cord running between the shooter’s feet.

• The cord will be pulled by another person, causing the bottle to come toward the shooter.

To Begin The Exercise

• Don’t draw your weapon until the bottle starts to move.

• When given the command the volunteer will quickly pull on the cord, which will move the bottle towards you even faster.

• Shoot until you strike the bottle, releasing the water.

• The exercise is not over until the bottle is empty, or the firearms instructor stops the exercise.

Safety

• For safety reasons, we will stop pulling the bottle when it gets to about five feet out from the shooter.

• There will be a stake in the ground five feet in front of the shooter with the cord passing through it.

• The bottle cannot be pulled past this point.• The shooter will keep his handgun pointed down

range at all times.

SummaryWhen stopping an Attacking Dog:

   Lower your center of gravity by bending your knees.

   Yell at the dog.

   Spray it with OC.

   If you can safely, shoot the dog before it bites you.

   When you can’t shoot the dog before it bites, control

the attack by making the dog bite your weak arm.

   Do everything you can to stay on your feet.

   Shoot the dog in the chest or shoulder until it releases

you.

Time for Questions

Acknowledgement… This program is based on information from“Countering

Canine Attacks” a May, 2003 article published in Police

Magazine by Michael Rayburn. He is the owner/lead

instructor of Rayburn Law Enforcement Training,

Saratoga Springs, NY <www.combatgunfighting.com>.

With over 30 years experience in the Law

Enforcement and Security fields, he is an Adjunct

Instructor for Smith & Wesson at the Smith & Wesson

Academy in Springfield, MA. Where he teaches Instinctive

Point Shooting, Vehicle Stops, Combat Shotgun,

Handcuffing and a number of Instructor classes.

Acknowledgement

Portions in the preface to this program came from

Good Order and Safety: a history of the St.

Louis Metropolitan Police 1861-1906, by Dr. Allen

Wagner, and published bythe Missouri History

Museum Press (2008). (Pages 55 and 56 tell about

the “dog war.”) It’s a great book and I recommend it

to everyone.